


Memories and Thumbprints

by dedueitwithmustard



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - High School, Dorks in Love, Fluff, High School, How Do I Tag, Love Confessions, M/M, Multi, Prom, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trans Ferdinand von Aegir, student council president dimitri, teens in love basically....very cute, transfem ferdinand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29576433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dedueitwithmustard/pseuds/dedueitwithmustard
Summary: Highschool is ending. Goodbyes are being said all over, and the Prom is approaching. Dimitri and Dedue will be attending together.
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Annette Fantine Dominic, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Claude von Riegan, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro, Ferdinand von Aegir/Sylvain Jose Gautier, Mercedes von Martritz/Hubert von Vestra, Petra Macneary/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Dimidue Big Bang 2021





	Memories and Thumbprints

**Author's Note:**

> im so honored to have been apart of the dimidue bigbang event!!! THANK YOU TO MY AMAZINGGGGG PARTNER, @/fireemblazem on twitter. i love her so freaggin much. okay! without further ado, please enjoy!

Snow was slowly falling outside, covering every inch of campus. Dimitri gazed out of his dorm room’s window, an empty look plastered across his features. Melancholy filled his chest as he pulled the blanket that rested on his shoulders closer to himself. Every coming-of-age movie that he had ever watched convinced him that he wouldn’t be able to wait until he could leave high school and get out into the “real” world, but the exact opposite was true for Dimitri. Ever since he had stepped back onto campus to begin his last year, the thought of leaving had been killing him slowly. He couldn’t imagine not being with his friends every day, not seeing their faces, hugging them, and hanging out with them after school. When Dimitri had been at his lowest, they had been there to remind him that he was loved and cherished by every person he had touched while at the academy.

Dimtiri had always struggled with his self-image. He had always felt that in order to be “good enough,” he would have to be successful; getting good grades, being well-liked by peers and teachers alike, and always being chipper no matter what (He would later blame Faerghan culture and how it treats it’s men, there being a responsibility placed upon them to always provide good results in their indevors for their families and love ones, for being the root of this mindset). He tried to hide any and all negative emotion from his peers, which lead to those feelings being locked into a Pandora’s box inside his mind. As he entered his Junior year and the stress for perfect grades, perfect attendance and perfect everything began to surge, he box drew close and closer to breaking open. Dimitri figured that he may as well get ahead of the breakdown that was certain to come if he didn’t take care of the issue by opening up to his friends.

Annette and Mercedes, a pair of girls whom he had become extremely close within his years as an underclassman, were the first people he went to with his troubles. The three of them worked closely together on the student council and had multiple classes together, giving the girls an up-close look of how much Dimitri was taking on. When he sat them down and explained his issues with his self-image and how he felt he simply wasn’t enough no matter what he did, he was met with soft hugs and firm affirmations. Annette, who was quite the workaholic herself, reminded him that she was there no matter what, and Mercedes the same. The response from everyone he met was almost the exact same. Dimitri felt an enormous amount of relief wash over him, like the weight of a boulder was taken from his shoulders with each person he approached. He was given affirmations of how good of a leader he was, and that he was doing a good job, that he was a great friend and student. He had never truly been given space to talk about his worries and troubles in depth before, around the comfort of people who he knew would love him no matter what.

Dimitri jumped when he heard the doorknob of his room turning, the noise disturbing his thoughts.

“I’m here,” Dedue said, holding a bowl of popcorn and some M&Ms, “did I scare you?”

“Just a little. I was spacing out a bit, but don’t worry. Here, let’s sit.” Dimitri said, pointing to a spot on the floor he had prepared for Dedue.

Dedue smiled softly at Dimitri, closing the door and setting the food down on the table in front of where the younger of the two sat. Dimitri walked over to the spot and took a seat and Dedue sat down on a pillow next to him. He reached for some of the blanket Dimitri had on his shoulders. Using his right arm, he wrapped it around his broad frame, bringing Dimitri closer. He then wrapped his arm around the blonde’s waist. Dimitri allowed his head to rest on Dedue’s shoulder. He sighed and closed his eyes.

“I was thinking about how school’s almost over, Dedue… Doesn’t it feel like we just started here a few weeks ago? I remember the first time we talked so vividly; When we were in 9th grade gym and I got the dodgeball stuck on the roof, and you helped lift me up to get it. I thought about it weeks.” Dimitri said, cheeks warming up and a smile coming across his face.

“Did you really like me that much even back then?” Dedue chuckled.

“I sure did. I’ve liked you since we saw each other at the new student orientation event in 9th grade.”

“I would have asked you to be my boyfriend a lot sooner if I had known. But, then again, I was...painfully awkward back then. I still am, I think. Thank you for being patient with me.”

Dimitri laughed, reaching for Dedue’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “I don’t think you’re awkward. Compared to me?”

“You may be right. But, I think it’s part of your charm. When you told me that pickup line you had practiced in the mirror before our homecoming date I knew I never wanted to leave you.”

Dimitri’s eyes widened, his lips unable to keep themselves from turning up into a grin as he huffed out a laugh. He gently turned Dedue’s head to face him, leaning up to place a kiss on the older boy’s nose. Dedue giggled, returning the gesture. Dimitri looked into his boyfriend’s eyes, beautiful and the color of sea foam, and felt a pang of melancholy in his side. His expression fell slightly, lips flattening back into a line.

“What am I going to do when we can’t do this every day? ” Dimitri trailed off, shoulders slouching as he retreated into himself slightly. Dedue pulled him closer again, firmly holding him. He gently reached out for Dimitri’s cheek, cupping his face. Dimitri looked away from the floor and into his eyes again.

“So that’s what has been bothering you all this time?” Dedue asked, gently stroking his beau’s cheek with his thumb. Dimitri reached his cheek and held onto it. He nodded, sighing anxiously.

“I’m the happiest I’ve been in years, Dedue, and it’s all thanks to the academy. I’ve never had the tools to talk about how I feel like this before and I never thought that I would. And then there’s you. Dedue, getting to know you has been one of the most precious experiences I’ve ever had. I know that when we go away to University that we’ll still be together, but being apart from you just doesn’t feel right. I don’t know what I’ll do when I can’t touch and hold you everyday…” Dimitri trailed off, squeezing Dedue’s hand. “I’m just going to miss you and everyone here so badly. I’ll miss seeing you smile when you cook with Annette, seeing the way you frown up when you’re focused on homework and feeling you hold me when we’re like this. I’m going to miss this more than anything I’ve missed in Faerghus. I don’t want to leave you, Dedue. I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”

Dedue looked away for a moment before standing up. Dimitri looked up at him, perplexed. Dedue extended a warm hand to Dimitri, gesturing to the door.

“Put your coat on. Let’s go for a walk. It will be quick. You need some air.”

“It’s freezing!”

“Then we ought to move quickly.”

Dimitri took his hand slowly, allowing Dedue to help him up. He quickly put on a sweatshirt, his coat, and his snow boots, following Dedue out the door when he was ready. Dedue quickly went to his room and grabbed two scarfs for both of them. Down the stairs of the dorm they went, pushing the front doors and into the cold. Dimitri looked up as they stepped outside the building. Snow was still falling, the cold nipping at Dimitri’s nose. Dedue held out one of his gloved hands to Dimitri. Dimitri took it, lacing their leather-covered hands together. He liked the way his hand felt in Dedue’s.

The two walked down the hill where their dorms stood, passing the dining hall and open sports field on their way. Behind the gates of the field, there was a small pond with a bench. The two swept the snow off of the seat and then sat down, huddled together for warmth.

“Do you remember when we came back here to hide out from everyone unpacking the weekend after spring break?” Dedue asked, stroking his thumb over Dimitri’s hand.

“Of course I do. You went back to Duscur for the two weeks we had off. I missed you terribly, even if it wasn’t a long time,” Dimitri smiled, looking up at Dedue.

“I spent a majority of my time with my Grandmother when I was visiting you came up a couple of times. She’s older, so she listens more than she talks, but she interrupted me when I brought you up. She told me that my eyes sparkled when I said your name, unlike anything she had she had seen before. You look like you have stars in your eyes, boy, I have to meet this ‘Mitri!’” He pulled away from Dimitri to meet his eyes, grabbing both of his hands, “She knows my heart better than anyone else, and she knows how happy you make me without me even having to explain it. Even when we’re apart when I think of you I’m at my best, my happiest, and more. I think of your smiles when we’re out with friends or when I sneak you leftovers from cooking club. I want to learn every little thing that makes you happy. Everything that makes you excited. I want to keep making memories of you that I can cherish when you’re away. You’re so very special to me. So, even though this year may be ending and we’re going to be apart soon, let’s stay focused on the here and the now. Okay?"

Dimitri threw his arms around Dimitri’s neck abruptly and nodded hard. Dedue chuckled as he rubbed his back and Dimitri began to tear up.

“Did she really say you had stars in your eyes?” Dimitri whimpered, a wobbly grin across his face.

“Yes, handsome,” Dedue giggled, pressing Dimitri up again his puffer coat. “My sister wouldn’t stop talking about it afterwards. She’s always teasing me about you. But, I don’t mind. I’d never admit this to her, but she’s never wrong about the stuff she says. I like you very much, Dimitri.”

Dimitri pulled back and wiped his damp eyes. “I like you very much, too, Dedue! So much.”

Dimitri reached for the sides of his boyfriend’s face, pulling him in and bringing their lips together. Dedue’s lips were soft, and his own were chapped, but all that mattered to the both of them in that moment was they were together. Dedue kissed him back, moving his hand to tangle it in Dimitri’s hair. Dimitri melted at the touch.

Dedue pulled back after a minute, pressing his forehead against the younger boy’s. Their breath mingled together. Dedue wiped Dimitri’s cheek.

“What happened to being from Faerghus? I thought you were used to the bitter cold? Isn’t this a summer night for you?” Dedue teased. Dimitri poked his side, rolling his eyes.

The two stood up, quickly making their way back to their dorms, arm in arm. Dedue decided he’d sleep over at Dimitri’s and just needed to grab a couple of things from his room. Dimitri made his way back the stairs, adjusting the pillows and blankets on the floor once he got there. Dedue followed him about 5 minutes later with a small bag carrying everything he needed. The two went to the bathrooms to quickly shower and get the chill off of their bodies.

After their nightly routines, they returned to their pillows, blankets, candy, and (cold) popcorn and turned on the movie that they were supposed to watch. It was some coming-of-age film about a girl and her crush from out of town. She was a senior just like them, getting ready to be crowned prom queen with her asshole boyfriend when she really wants to be the new guy.

“I bet Sylvain would get a kick out of something like this. Though, he would be the guy on the floor, wouldn’t he?” Dedue said during a scene at the prom. The girl had just punched her jerk of a boyfriend, who fell straight on his ass, and then began to kiss the guy she really liked.

“He and Ferdie have been together for 3 whole months, I think he’s changed!” Dimitri replied Dedue humming in response.

“Speaking of Sylvain, have you counted the vote for the Prom royal court yet? I’ve been seeing his flyers for King in all of my club rooms lately. Think he’s going to win?”

“Not yet, Annie and I are doing that tomorrow while Mercedes and Ashe finish up the decorations in the Serios manor. And as for his chances of winning,” Dimitri watched as the popular boyfriend gets kicked in the face by his now ex-girlfriend as she dances with the new guy, “I can’t say that I’m one hundred percent confident just yet.”

As the movie finishes, the two clean up their snacks and turns off all of the lights. Dedue slips into the small bed, definitely not meant to hold two people of Dedue and Dimitri’s height. Dimitri follows after him, pressing up against Dedue’s chest so he doesn’t fall off of the bed. Dedue wrapped his arms around Dimtri’s waist and allowed him to cuddle into his neck. Neither of them cared that it was uncomfortable, as long as they were together.

“I’ve been thinking about taking you to this dance for a while now. I think this one is going to be special.” Dedue whispered, breath tickling the back of Dimitri’s neck. Dimitri smiled, kissing Dedue’s in turn.

“Dedue Molinaro? Excited about a dance? Who are you and what have you done to my boyfriend?!”

The taller boy laughed, kissing Dimitri’s forehead. “Seriously, I really do think it will be special. But let’s talk about it yesterday. For now, let’s sleep. Goodnight, Dima.”

Dimitri's eyes fluttered shut as he places another soft kiss on his boyfriend’s neck. He nuzzled against him, a small “g’nite” falling from his lips. As he relaxed his body, he wondered what about this dance would be special enough to make Dedue especially excited about taking him. Dedue was the textbook definition of a wallflower; he hated dance floors and stuck to punch bowls like glue. His brain didn’t allow him to linger on it for too long, as he drifted off to sleep in his favorite resting spot, Dedue’s arms.

____

Dimitri stirred awake as he felt sunlight tickle his face. He stretched as much as he could without falling, yawning quietly. He opened his eyes and saw Dedue wearing a pensive expression, still asleep. His chest rose and fell at a steady pace. Dimitri wanted to lie and watch his sleeping form forever but knew that they would be late for their classes if he indulged him. He gently sat up, wiggling up out of Dedue’s arms into a seated position against the headboard of his bed. He brushed some of the flyaways out of Dedue’s face before delicately shaking him awake. Dedue’s nose scrunched up a bit before he grunted and opened his eyes.

“G’morning,” he mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

Dimitri leaned down to press a quick kiss on his boyfriend's puffy lips. Dedue smiled as the blonde pull away.

“Good morning, my sleeping beauty. Let’s get going for today. I hear breakfast is cinnamon rolls today, and I know that’s your favorite!” Dimitri said, bringing Dedue’s head to rest in his lap. Dedue wrapped his arms around Dimitri’s waist again.

“Let me hold you for a little longer. You’re warm.”

Dimitri couldn’t say no to him if he tried. He leaned down to kiss his hair, then grabbed his phone from where it was charging. He had a text from Annette reminding him to meet him at the manor where the pair and some other members of the student council would set up the decorations for prom. Garreg Mach Academy, the boarding school they all attended, used to be a huge monastery before they converted it into a school, but some of the old buildings remained. One of them was Serios Manor, which used to be where the archbishop of the Church of Serios once resided ages ago. It was beautiful; old wood, stain-glassed windows, and a grand ballroom making it feel like the students were dancing through history. Dimitri texted her back, confirming that he would be there. He placed his phone back where he got it, looking back down at Dedue. He rubbed his back and closed his eyes.

After a couple of minutes, the two climbed out of bed reluctantly to start their day. After their teeth were brushed and their hair was done, the couple grabbed their coats and bookbags made their way to the dining hall. When they entered, they saw a huge line with a voting booth at the end of it. Mercedes sat behind the booth, smiling at each student who cast their ballot. Dimitri walked over to her while Dedue decided to take advantage of the small lines at the serving area. Mercedes, the student council vice president, was in charge of counting all of the votes for Prom King and Prince this year, as well as running the booths for the voting as well. Today was the last day for the student body to cast their votes as Prom was two days away. Annette, the secretary, had already conducted the vote for Queen and Princess a week earlier. Dimitri waved at the older girl as he walked over.

“Looks like everyone waited until the last day to vote, hm?” he asked, gesturing at the line.

Mercedes chuckled, “I don’t blame them! This is an important decision, after all, you want to make sure you’re making the right choice. I’m almost glad that student council members can’t vote. I wouldn’t be able to choose!”

“I think you’re right. What would I tell Sylvain if my vote for Claude was the reason he lost? He’d never forgive me.”  
The two laughed, soon falling into a conversation about the final preparations for the dance. Dedue soon joined them, having made sure to grab an extra cinnamon roll for the two of them respectively. Soon, the line got shorter and the last student cast their vote. The couple said goodbye to Mercedes, leaving the dining hall to and making their way to the Cethleann Hall where the two had their classes. Dimitri and Dedue only had a free period together that day, and wouldn’t see each other until much in the day, after dinner. They parted with a hug before walking into their separate classes.

_____

Annette and some of the others were already done decorating the foyer by the time Dimitri arrived to begin helping out. Annette had two free-periods, so she arrived early to get most of the heavy lifting there done first. The Prom’s theme this year was “Midnight in Enbarr,” so Annette decided that there would be black, red, and gold galore. She had decorated the place with balloons, glitter, streamers, and lanterns, and adorned the fold-away tables that would hold small centerpieces with tablecloths of the same color. Dimitri looked around at it all as he walked into the building, again impressed with his wonderful friend’s hard work. He walked past the foyer and into the ballroom underneath the two cases of stairs. Annette was carrying a couple of chairs over to a table that hadn’t been able to set up yet when she spotted Dimitri.

“Look who finally showed up,” she teased, smirking at him as he came over to help her out with the chairs.

“Sorry, sorry. You know how busy it is this time of year,” Dimitri said, taking a chair out of the ginger’s arms, unfolding it, and pushing it in.

“Nah, it get it. I decided to take my tests early this week so I could make time to make sure I could help you and Mercie with Prom, and I also had to make sure that my dress was done. But, anyways, I think it’s break time, so why don’t we sit down for a bit?” Annette replied, pushing in the chair that she had.

“Ah, perfect! I got a surprise for you, actually,” Dimitri said cheerfully as the two sat in the chairs they had placed, “I know how hard you’ve been working lately, and how hard you work in general, and I wanted to get you a little treat.”

Dimitri pulled out a huge fudge brownie wrapped in saran wrap, with a Post-It note on top that read, “We love you, Annie! -Mercie and Dima,” in cruisve. Annette threw her head back and let out a squeal before reaching over to hold the chocolatey treat in her hands.

“Di-miii-tri! I’ve been dying for one of these! Did you guys bake these yourselves?” She cooed, holding the delight to her chest.

“Mercedes did all of the work, of course, I just cracked the eggs and wrote the note,” He said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

“Well, I’ll cherish it regardless.”

Annette reached out and gave the blonde a tight hug, rocking him from side to side. Dimitri laughed and held onto the short girl. She pulled away after a short while and then began to eat her treat. She slumped in her chair a little and she chewed, an Mmm! coming from behind her closed lips. Dimitri smiled, before reaching to grab a small cookie of his own that he had brought from the dining hall before he made his way over to meet Annette.

Annette had been one of Dimitri’s first friends at the boarding school, along with Mercedes. Both of them had gone to an all-girls academy not too far from where he lived in Faerghus before coming to study at Garreg Mach. Dimitri didn’t know anyone when he arrived, besides Sylvain, who even from the beginning was popular with the girls in their grade, so Dimitri didn’t spend a great amount of time with him. Annette and Dimitri had become fast friends when they met through student leadership, often spending time outside of classes with one another. She introduced Mercie to him, and the three became inseparable. Later on, Annette would be the one to push Dimitri to ask Dedue on a date after she found out Dimitri had eyes for him, so he considered himself in her debt.

“Annette, I did want to take this time tell you how much you mean to me, though. I mean, just look at everything you’ve done here in just a few hours! You’re the hardest worker I know, always making time for others and constantly pushing yourself to be better. I can’t imagine what my life without you would even look like. You’re just such a bright light, and you’ve done so much for-” He stopped when Anette reached out a finger a pressed it to his lips.

She closed her blue eyes and finished the bite of the brownie she was working on. He opened them and turned her body to face Dimitri. He looked at her, then away, and then back at her. She chuckled.

“Dimitri. I know what’s happening here. Our high school careers are ending after all of this time and you’ve been doing some deep, deep reflecting in that anxious mind of your’s. You’re worried about a million different things so you’ve been going on these spiels about how much you’ll miss everyone when we’re not together anymore, right?” She said, talking with her hands for emphasis

“How did you...” Dimitri sputtered.  
The ginger cackled, “Bro, no offense, but you’re like an open book to me. Last night at dinner, you totally had your ‘I’m-overthinking-and-need-to-get-it-out’ face on.”

“I even have an overthinking face? Oh, goddess. Am I that easy to read?”

“Wearing that big heart of yours on your sleeve is one of your many charming qualities, Dima. Besides, I’m just teasing you. I love how open you are with your emotions, and I love when you type long texts or recite big speeches about our friendship or whatnot, it’s adorable! You always make me feel so appreciated, and I promise that I love you that much back. You don’t realize how much good you’ve done for me and everyone else you’ve met here. And, I’ll make sure to text you as much as I can when I’m away in Enbarr, okay? We’re gonna be besties for a long, long time. Promise!”

Dimitri sighed, pulling Annette in for another hug. She giggled, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Thank you, Annie. I love you.”

She sat back and patted his cheek. “Love you too! Now, let’s eat and get back to it, yeah?”

After finishing their snacks in comfortable silence, the two got back to work setting up tables and decorating the ballroom. Chairs were set, and after those were done they worked on setting up the streamers and tapestries to set the atmosphere. At one point, a disco ball that they had ordered for the day arrived, so the team grabbed an extra long ladder for Dimitri to climb. He held the ball in one arm and steadied himself in with the other, making sure not to drop it. Once he got to the top, he fastened it to the hook that another member had set up. He made sure the ball was supported one last time before coming down. Annette pressed a button, and the ball began to spin; bright LED lights shot the colors of Enbarr all over the room. Dimitri high-fived her, proud of their small accomplishment.

They worked on the room in tandem for about another hour and a half, until everything was set up and ready to go. Taking a step back, the pair and the other members of the student council observed all of the work they had done. Above and behind the dance floor, a banner that read “Midnight in Enbarr,” that Ignatz, an art student in their grade had helped paint, hung. Below that, a stage where the student band would play stood. Lastly, along with the decorations on the walls, the tables and chairs sat. Annette let out a cheer and started a round of applause for their collective effort. The sounds of high fives and shared giggles echoed all around the Manor, filling Dimitri’s chest with familiar warmth. He thanked everyone who showed up to help and dismissed them. He and Annette quickly cleaned up any loose materials that may have left behind, grabbed their things, and made their way to the dining hall.

“I forgot to ask, Annie, how’s your dress going? I know you said Mercedes was helping you sew matching dresses this year,” Dimitri asked.

“Oh, it’s finally finished! I think it looks great, but I can’t tell you what it looks like yet! You’ll love it, though. And oooh my gosh is Mercie’s beautiful! She decided to go for a different look than mine, but she really outdid herself,” she said, grabbing on to Dimitri’s arm and squeezing it, “but speaking of Prom attire, have you seen Dedue in his tux yet? I bet he looks amazing! I’m so excited to see it!”

“Whatever he wears, He’ll be the most handsome person there. I’m just ecstatic he decided he wanted to come, honestly,” Dimitri sighed, a smile on his sharp features.

Dedue was not the type to enjoy dances like Prom and Homecoming and usually opted to just take Dimitri on private dates during them. Dimitri was shocked when Dedue had asked him to go to the dance with him a month ago. He, of course, answered his beau with an enthusiastic “absolutely,” but Dimitri was still curious as to why he wanted to go. He decided that it was probably because it was their senior year and that Dedue wanted to give them both a special memory, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there was something else. Dedue was very open with him, so it probably wasn’t the case.

“Isn’t it great? Our whole group can be together now! We’re gonna have a blast, Dima, it’s gonna be the best night ever!” Annette cheered, skipping ahead of Dimitri to open the door to the dining hall.

Speaking of their group, they walked up and saw Claude, Dedue, and Sylvain sitting at a table together with a Nintendo Switch propped up on a backpack. Dedue was playing against Sylvain, Sylvain’s expression distressed. Claude waved them over after spotting them.

“Observe, friends, as Sylvain Jose Gautier gets his ass handed in Mario Kart to him by the crowd favorite, Dedue Molinaro!” Claude exclaimed in his announcer's voice.

“Fuck, dude, how are you so good at this game? I can’t drift for crap,” Sylvain sighed, exasperated.

Dedue patted his back. “You have many talents, Sylvain, but this game is not one of them. But, don’t despair. I’m happy to give you lessons sometime, if you’d like.”

The group laughed and Sylvain scoffed. He took the joycon out of Dedue’s hand and sliding it back onto the Switch’s side. The redhead grabbed his backpack and put the system inside, standing up to leave dramatically.

“I’m off to practice, then! I’ll get you next time, Dedue, don’t you forget it!”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

After the redhead left the scene, Annette and Dimitri set their bags under the table to get food quickly. Dimitri took a seat next to Dedue, pecking his cheek, and Annette sat next to Claude.

“How goes the Prom prep? Almost done?” Claude asked Annette who was hastily munching away at a salad.

“Nearly! Or, at least Annie and I are. Mercedes, Ashe and Dedue are going to bake some of the sweets for the dance tomorrow,” Dimitri said, Annette, giving a thumbs up while holding her fork.

“And, speaking of which, where’s Mercedes?”

Dedue and Claude gestured over their shoulders in unison. In the very back corner of the dining hall, Mercedes at next to Hubert, a brooding photography major, who seemed to be doing her nails. She was giggling as he talked.

“Wait. Mercedes and Hubert? They’re like…. Those two?!” Dimitri whispered, trying to make his staring and confusion less obvious.

Annette swallowed, “Uh, yeah? Dima, they’ve been with each other for the past two weeks or so. She told me she hung out with him in the photography studio after she was assigned to write about him for the newspaper since she’s the vice-president. They hit it off and she asked him to the dance about a week ago. You really must have been super busy if you didn’t notice.”

“Huh.” the blonde said, slumping in his chair a bit.

A couple of minutes of quiet chatter went by before Claude’s phone chimed.

“Oh, I gotta go. Petra wants to do some studying together before curfew. I’ll see you guys around!” The boy said, curls bouncing around his face as he got up to put his plate away.  
The group wished him goodbye. Mercedes came over to say hello after Hubert left to go back to his room, taking Annette back to her room with her. Soon, Dedue and Dimitri followed, clearing their plates and making their way back to their dorms. They spent some time in Dedue’s dorm room, finishing up homework and finalizing their plans for Prom.

“I’m going to miss our date night this year, love. McArmid’s on homecoming night was a blast! The time when we shared the milkshake?” Dimitri said, stacking some papers and tucking them into a folder.

“You liked it that much?” Dedue asked, scooting over on his bed to give Dimitri room to sit. “I thought you might have been disappointed I didn’t want to go to the dance.”

“No, I wasn’t! The opposite, actually,” Dimitri replied, climbing over onto the bed. “I’d much rather be eating with you in your car than eating alone in a corner at a dance. Oh, we went to the lake, too! The sunset was positively beautiful that day. Was that the first time we kissed?”

“I think it was, actually. We had only been dating for a little while, and I wanted to make it special for us when we had our first kiss, so I took you there. Had you kissed anyone before then?”

“Only once. I kissed a girl once in middle school on a field trip. She helped me prove to myself that I am most definitely gay,” Dimitri laughed, Dedue giggling along with him. “What about you?”

“Wasn’t my first either. I had a girlfriend in middle school as well, and the summer before I came here to study there was a girl I had spent a lot of time with. She and I were both leaving Duscur so we broke it off. Sometimes we still talk on Instagram,” Dedue said. “But, you were the first time I kissed a boy if that counts.”

“Mm, same. And, any first with you count to me, Dedue. It was the best first kiss as boyfriends I could have asked for!” Dimitri avowed proudly, pulling Dedue into his arms.

“I’m glad, Mitya,” Dedue kissed the younger boy’s nose, wrapping his arms around him, “We should go somewhere again, after the dance. The tradition doesn’t have to stop now that we’re going to Prom, too. What sounds good?”

“Oh, what about Caeldonia's Pancakes? We’ve been meaning to go anyways.” Dimitri suggested.

“That sounds perfect.”

The couple cleaned up the notebooks and school supplies they had taken out, Dimitri packing his backpack to go back to his own room. Dimitri kissed Dedue goodnight before leaving the dorm. As he walked back, he smiled to himself, daydreaming about what Dedue would look like in his suit. Similar to his partner, he had never really been a huge fan of dances and school events of a similar nature. Then again, he had never attended one with a partner, only out of necessity in his role as president of the student council. He wondered what it would be like to dance with Dedue in the middle of the floor during a slow song, his hands on Dimitri’s waist as his grey-green eyes gazing into Dimitri’s.

After he got ready for bed, playing similar scenarios in his head, he went to sleep.

____

“Aaand, done. Alright, now turn around,” Claude singsonged, gesturing to the mirror that stood behind Dimitri and himself.

Tonight was the moment that they had all been waiting for, the day where all of those nights staying up planning and lunches spent asking teachers for support would pay off: Prom night. It was bittersweet for him; he had poured so much of himself into making the perfect night for his peers, but it was also a part of the goodbye that he was dreading.  
He silenced his worrying train of thought momentarily. Dimitri did a 180, turning to his left to face himself in the mirror. He looked himself up and down, from his hair, partially tied up, to his black dress shoes. Claude pulled his hand closed to his house and pretended to tear up.

“It was just a couple of years ago that you were just my awkward little roommate who couldn’t talk to the boy that he liked, Dimitri. Now, look at you! Taller than me, looking so very handsome in your baby blue tux. And that hair! I told you the ponytail was a good idea. Ugh, you make me so proud,” he said, walking over to Dimitri and wrapping his arm around his shoulder. He was wearing a similar suit to Dimitri’s, except it was a dark yellow color, his hair slicked back, a few fly-aways sticking out here and that.

“There, there, my dear roommate. I can assure you that I am still just as awkward and inept at flirting with my boyfriend. I am just a bit better at hiding it in public, is all,” Dimitri said while gently rubbing Claude’s back, playing along. “And you are just as handsome as I, let me add. Have I ever mentioned that yellow is your color?”

The two shared a laughed, moving to sit on the bean bags on the floor of Claude’s room.

“Welp, this is the end, bud! Gotta say, didn’t think I would miss this place by the time I was ready to graduate, but here I am. I’m ready to go do big things at out there, though, but I’m gonna miss the little things like hanging out with you like this, y'know? We’ll keep in touch, of course, but I’m gonna miss hanging and sleeping next door to my favorite prep.” Claude sighed, sinking into his chair.

“I’m honored to be your first choice out of the many preps here, friend,” Dimitri giggled, “But I know how you feel. It’s all that’s been on my mind. To be honest, I was going to tell you this whole spiel about how grateful I am for you as...sort of a warm-up goodbye? But, I think I’ll save it for when we’re packing up to leave for good. We still have time to have fun, even if it’s not a lot. Let’s make the most of it.”

Claude reached over and pulled Dimitri into a hug, “Look at you. This is what I mean! You’re a big boy now. Little Dimitri wouldn’t have been able to say something like that. I’m proud of you, really.”

Dimitri hugged him back, smiling softly at the praise. Claude had been through a lot with Dimitri; The two were assigned as roommates in sophomore year, a time where both of them were finding themselves further and trying to understand their place in the world. Dimitri wasn’t the most social back then, almost exclusively spending his time with Mercedes, Sylvain, Annette, and occasionally Dedue. But, Claude would often come through the shared door they had to come say hello. At first, Dimitri didn’t quite know what to say to him as the two were drastically different in his eyes. Claude didn’t mind it, as he was comfortable carrying the conversations along into territories they both could feel comfortable in. As more time passed, Dimitri felt increasingly more comfortable with opening up to Claude and about more and more. Soon, the two were frequently staying up to talk to one another, sharing secrets and insecurities. Claude knew how all about Dimitri’s struggle with mental health, as he has some of his own. Claude was always the first person to reassure him that he was worthy and capable, so even if he joked and pretended to cry, Dimitri knew that he was sincere.

The two parted and relaxed until there was a knock on the door.

“It’s open!” Claude called.

The door opened and Sylvain stepped into the room carrying a bag and a bouquet of flowers. He was wearing a navy blue dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, with a matching pair of slacks.

“Hope I’m not late, fellas,” The redhead said, tossing the bag to Claude, who had his hands in a ready position. “Almost forgot to get Ferdie their flowers.”

“Flowers? Oh, well done, Sylvain! They’ll love those.” Dimitri said, nodding his head in approval.

Claude opened up the bag that Sylvain brought out and pulled out the corsages and boutonnieres they were to hand to their dates. He handed Dimitri his matching flower to give to Dedue, kept the one he’d give to Petra, and handed Sylvain’s his two.

“Poppies? An orange corsage? I don’t even think orange is her favorite color, man,” Claude said, handing the cases off to Sylvain.

“Whaddaya mean? Orange is her color for sure!” Sylvain huffed snatching them from his hands.”

“You’re right, she rocks orange! But it’d be like someone buying nothing but yellow things for Dimitri because he’s blonde. Sylvain, you’re a ginger, I thought you’d understand.”

Dimitri chuckled at the pointless argument Claude started before he got a ping from his phone.

“Sorry to interrupt this very significant discussion, but I believe everyone’s ready. We should get going,”

“We’re not done with this, by the way!” Sylvain said, pointing at Claude before grabbing his things.

The trio made it's way outside, setting course for the manor. They could hear chatter outside, dates and friends all walking down the hill and getting ready to set course for the manor. Directly outside their dorm, Dimitri saw Hubert, in a long, black flowing vest, over a plain black t-shirt. He wore a simple pair of black trousers with big, black, leather boots. He was holding similar cases to the ones Dimitri had for Dedue, except his flowers were tinted different shades of purple. Hubert saw them coming and gave them a small nod.

“Heya, Hubert! Gotta say, you were right, the boots were a great idea!” Claude said, looking Hubert up and down. Claude and Sylvain both were in the Strategy and Tactics (board games and DND, but they’d never admit it) club with Hubert. Dimitri was always impressed by his friend’s abilities to branch out and make connections with anyone who crossed their path.

“I don’t usually miss,” Hubert replied simply. “Shall we get going?”

No objections were made their dates were waiting for them outside of the manor where they would exchange corsages and boutonnieres. As they walked down the hill, Dimitri felt his chest bubble with a certain kind of nervousness he hadn’t felt in a long while. He remembered a couple of times in sophomore year where he had met privately with Dedue to ask him how his clubs were doing. His heart would beat like a drum in his chest when Dedue would ask to sit next to him, leaning his head over to see Dimitri’s notes closer. The same feeling rose up in his chest when they went on their first date on homecoming night a year ago; he remembered the bubbles arising and filling his heart when Dedue held his hand and walked him to his car. He must have been smiling widely since Sylvain caught his eye and winked at him.

“Excited, are we? Y’know, Dimitri, when I think about the two of you, it fills my heart with joy. Wanna know why? It tells me that pure, young love still exists out there and that we all have a chance at it,” the redhead drawled, his arm slung around his childhood friend’s shoulder.

“Sylvain, please, you sound like Ms. Cassagranda! You’re hardly older than me,” Dimitri chided him, lightly pushing him off of him. “But I appreciate that you approve of Dedue and I.”

“How could I ever disapprove? You’re the cutest,” Sylvain cooed. “But, Dimitri, promise me you’ll have a fun time tonight, alright? You deserve it.”

Dimitri reached for Sylvain’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Of course. Thank you, Sylvain.”

When they arrived, the front entrance of the manor was completely packed. Younger members of the student council were trying to keep people from standing outside but to no avail. After a bit of looking over the crowd, Sylvain spotted Mercedes and guided the three of them to follow his lead. Careful not to step on any toes, Dimitri followed weaved through the crowd over to where his friends sat. The girls jumped up at the sight of them, waving them over. Annette, who was sitting next to a guy that Dimitri hadn’t seen before, jumped up and ran over to him. She was wearing a beautiful white dress with cyan and orange detailing at the neckline. Her hair, which was usually in an up-do, neatly straightened and bouncing around her face.

“Dimitri, look at you! You look so handsome, and that hair!” she grinned, reaching up to hug him.

“You look radiant yourself, Annie, the dress is gorgeous!” The taller of the two replied, stepping back to admire his friend. Behind her, she saw the guys she was sitting next to standing up shuffling his feet awkwardly. Annette turned to go bring him over, locking their arms together. He wasn’t very dressed up; He was wearing a navy blue crew neck, slacks, and a pair of black dress shoes. He mumbled something to Annette before the two returned to Dimitri’s side.

“Dimitri, this is Felix. We go to summer school together back home, and he’s in town for a fencing tournament. Felix, this is Dimitri, my other best friend. He’s the student council president,” she said, nudging Felix’s hand forward.

“Nice to meet you,” Felix murmured.

“Nice to meet you, too. I hope you two have fun tonight, and if you need anything you can find me inside.” Dimitri replied, shaking Felix’s hand. Felix just looked aside after the introduction, Annette turning to him and whisper-shouting something about being social. His brow furrowed, sighing and looking away. She stepped closer to him and fell into rambling about how “he promised to be friendly Felix today, not grumpy Felix,” so Dimitri quickly looked away from the scene in fear of secondhand embarrassment washing over him.

He looked over at his friends admiring one another. Ferdie and Sylvain were to their right, the group has formed a circle. Ferdie was wearing a white midi V-neck dress with lace bishop sleeves, and a small pair of heels. Her hair was braided, with tiny white flowers poking out of her orange locks. Sylvain handed the poppies he was holding over to them, with an expression that Dimitri wasn’t used to seeing on the older boy’s face. He looked a little nervous as if he wasn’t sure if Ferdie would like them. Sylvain had a reputation about him for being an experienced playboy who didn’t care about feelings as much as he did sex. Dimitri didn’t think these rumors were exactly true, but he did know that Sylvain wasn’t the most serious about relationships. But, when he had been asked out by Ferdie, everything that Dimitri had seen changed. Sylvain was dedicated to the little things, to making her feel loved and special. Being focused on the details, Dimitri thought, made Sylvain feel fulfilled in a way that he never had before.

Ferdie took the bouquet of poppies into her arms with a boxy grin. She smelled them quickly before wrapping her arms around Sylvain’s neck. Sylvain held her tightly, hand resting on the back of her head. When they parted, they exchanged corsage and boutonniere.

To their left, Petra and Claude were doing the same. Petra wore a Mermaid-style dress that resembled her pinkish-magenta-colored hair, with green and yellow detailing near the neckline. Claude and Petra had been together for as long as Dimitri had known Claude. They lead the International Student’s Union on campus together and are utterly inseparable. It was well known amongst those in their grade year that Claude enjoyed doting on her and spoiling her. Dimitri had spent many-a-night discussing the possible date and gift ideas for her with Claude, especially in the weeks leading up to Saint Ceathlean Day, where couples would exchange gifts and celebrate their love. Petra would often reciprocate with small plushes or trinkets made with the help of her friend, Bernadetta. Claude carried a dragon plush-charm that she made him everywhere he went on his backpack. When he was done tying her corsage, Petra held it up to look for little details that might shimmer with the help of moonlight.

Then, there was Mercedes and Hubert. Hubert was an enigma to Dimitri; he had never had any classes with him during his prior years and had learned of him through other people, but Mercedes looked to be having a great time with him. Mercedes’ dress matched perfectly with Hubert’s; She wore a jet black princess style dress with a sweetheart neckline and boots that were almost the exact same as Hubert’s. Dimitri also noticed that the two had matching black nails to complete their looks. Mercedes wasn’t someone who wouldn’t usually wear a single color, let alone black, from head to toe, but Annette hadn’t been exaggerating when she said the dress was incredible. She looked like a cheerful, gothic Queen.  
Mercedes was finishing up tying boutonniere when Dimitri realized that he hadn’t seen Dedue with the group. He turned to anxiously ask Annette what had happened, or if she had seen him when he suddenly felt hands over his eyes.

“Guess who?” a voice he knew like the back of his hand asked.

Dimitri relaxed, lips cracking a small smile. He moved the cases into one hand, using the free one to reach out and grasp one hand blinding his vision. He spun around and was able to see when he opened his eyes. When he opened them, there he saw Dedue, sides of his head freshly shaven, wearing a beautiful suit that combined the colors of Dusurian flag together in a pattern, looking down and smiling upon him. Dimitri’s eyes widened, lips agape.

"Sorry I’m late, Dima, I hope you don’t mind,” Dedue apologized softly, squeezing his boyfriend’s hand.

“Forget about that for a moment! Look at you, Dedue! Oh, you look amazing, look at your suit, gah!” Dimitri beamed, walking around him in a 360.

“You look amazing, too, Mitya. I see you got inspired by my ponytail and decided to copy, hm?” Dedue teased.

Dimitri giggled, bringing in his significant other for a hug and a kiss. Dedue gladly returned his affections, kissing him back and wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. They parted after a brief moment.

Dimitri held out the boutonniere to Dedue and kept the corsage for himself. He held out a hand, gesturing for Dedue to give his wrist to Dimitri. Dedue complied. Dimitri carefully opened the plastic box that held the corrisage inside of it, making sure not to break or bend any of the ends. He took it out of the box began to gently tie it around his beau’s wrist. He looked up at Dedue while he was tying the first knot, who was smiling down at his wrist. Dimitri’s chest felt incredibly full, feeling rising and rising with every movement. Finally, he tightened it with one last pull. Dedue lightly shook his arm a bit to make sure that it was stable.  
After confirming that his corrisage was secure, Dedue opened the box that held Dimitri’s boutonniere inside of it. After carefully taking the brooch out, Dedue reached over to begin clasping it on Dimitri’s suit.

“Isn’t it funny, Dedue?” Dimitri said, looking as Dedue’s hands made the first tie.

“Isn’t what funny?” Dedue asked.

“How fast our emotions can change. Just earlier this week I was a wreck; I couldn’t stop thinking about leaving, being without you and the others, caught up in everything except the ‘now.’ It’s always been challenging for me not to spiral, and not to think of my worries over what’s happening in the moment. But,” he looked into Dedue’s eyes as he tied the last knot, “I know that I can be right here with you. Tonight is about us. Thank you for wanting to come to share it with me.”

Dedue grabbed onto Dimitri’s hand, holding it in his own before bringing it up to his full lips to lay a kiss on his palm. Dimitri’s cheeks flushed red as if he’d been kissed for the first time. The way Dedue was so very gentle in loving him made Dimitri’s head spin. Dedue looked him in the eyes, the smile his features wore sweeter than any cake he and Mercedes could bake. Dimitri huffed, grinning from ear to ear. He stepped into Dedue’s arms, snuggling into his chest. Dedue laughed, kissing the top of Dimitri’s head.

“Click.” Dedue said.

“What?” Dimitri asked, looked up, puzzled.

“I took a picture of us in my heart. Now, whenever I miss holding you, I’ll think about right now. You can do it, too. Next time you want to remember a feeling, record it with your heart.”  
Dimitri shook his head side to side, giggling, “You’re adorable, you know that?” Dedue laughed with him, cuddling him once again.

___

After the group was done exchanging their brooches, they made their way inside of the manor. The student band, Swan Song, made up of Dorothea, an up-and-coming pop-rock singer, Marianne, who played the piano and keyboard nicely, and Caspar, who was extremely talented on the drums, were playing the first few songs as they all shuffled in.  
Since Annette was the main event planner, they had the benefit of not having to scour in a hurry to find a table. Annette made sure to reserve a table near the front of the ballroom for easy access to the food, the photo booth, and the dance floor all at once.

“Never underestimate a secretary, everyone, especially one that’s the head of the event planning committee!” She exclaimed proudly.

They all let out a collective chuckle, pulling out chairs and sitting down. People were still filing in, so there weren’t many people on the dance floor yet. Most were simply trying to find tables or were trying to the first one in line for the dessert bar that would become available to the students 15 minutes into the Prom.

“Everyone make sure that you take your pictures! Ignatz is right over there near the salad bar. There’s tons of cute accessories, too, so make sure you have fun with them!” Mercedes said.

“Oh, yeah, and make sure you’re here about 20 minutes before the Prom ends so you can hear us Mercie and I announce the royal court! I hear it’s gonna be real close this year.” Annette added.

Sylvain and Claude had both campaigned for Prom King this year, which for the last month or so had been an inescapable topic of discussion (more like debate) at the dinner table. Today was no different, Sylvain making a jab at Claude about how he was sure to lose. Claude teases him back, and the debate about who the true winner ensued once again.

“I think now would be a good time to go and take our pictures, come on,” Dedue whispered, grabbing Dimtri’s hand and pulling him along.

They got in the line leading up to Ignatz’s photobooth, hand in hand, nodding along to the song Dorothea’s band was playing. There was a bin full of props they could hold during the photoshoot, that ranged from sparkly sunglasses to pirate hates and cat ear headbands. The group in front of them stepped up to the booth, the people before them putting some of the props back. A girl set down a larger prop, catching their eyes.

“Oh, This one will be perfect. Look!” Dedue said, pointing out a white frame that resembled the border of a polaroid camera.

The frame-prop also had a section that could be written on in dry-erase marker on the bottom left corner to write a message. There were a couple of markers set off on the side of the table. Dimitri reached for a blue marker, and a dark yellow marker, grabbing Dedue a mahogany one.

“The colors of Duscur’s flag?” Dedue queried.

“Mhm! I’ll write our names here in script, and then you can caption it below them,” Dimitri replied.

The pair scribbled on the frame before they were called to go next. Dimitri wrote their names in a pretty cursive above, dotting the “i”s of his name with hearts. Dimitri’s name was in blue while Dedue’s was in the mustard color. He passed the board off, offering it to Dedue. Dedue took the reddish marker and neatly captioned the frame, adding hearts around the borders. He stepped back, satisfied with his work. “Dimitri and Dedue,” it read, “Capturing Each Other’s Hearts Every Day.”

Dimitri cooed at the message, reaching over and locking pinkies with Dedue, whose cheeks were warming up.

“I hope it’s not too cheesy,” he said, reaching to pick up the frame with this free hand.

“Not at all. I thought it was lovely. You’re a lot better at being romantic than you think you are, Dedue. You get me every time.” Dimitri assured him, bringing him down to place a kiss on his cheek. Dedue smiled, giving one in return.

The group in front of them finished up, giving Dimitri and Dedue room to being posing. The backdrop, to go along with the Prom’s “Midnight in Enbarr” theme was a full moon and clouds over a lakeside district of Enbarr. As for Ignatz, he sat on a stool behind his huge camera, surrounded by two off-camera flashpoints on both sides. His head was covered by a rag when went to take the shot. The pair saw his green locks pop out behind his station.

“Oh, hey there, Dimitri, Dedue,” Ignatz said, leaning to the left in order to see the couple better. “Good to see you both! Ready? You get a maximum of 6 at a time. Stand on the line right there, take your time and have fun!”

The couple shuffled behind the line on the floor. Ignatz gave them the thumbs up to strike the first pose. They had taken couple’s pictures before for the yearbook (they were nominated the couple most likely to get married to each other in the next 5 years), so they had a couple of go-to poses they practiced. First was Basic Pose One. Dimitri went on Dedue’s left, rested his head on his shoulder, and Dedue would do the same to him while they held their polaroid frame. Flash. Next, was Pre-Kiss. For this one, the two would cup each other’s faces and stare affectionately into the other’s eyes. Flash! Then, The Kiss. In this one, kiss as progression to the last. Dimitri will lower his hand to Dedue’s chest. Flash!! Their next two poses are their Suprise Kisses. In this one, they’ll take turns pretending to be surprised the other kissed their cheek. Dimitri likes to put a hand over his mouth for dramatic effect. Flash and Flash!

And last, but not least, Dimitri tapped Dedue’s shoulder, then held his free hand in a “C” shape, mimicking a camera. Dedue chuckled, copying him. Flash! Ignatz gave them a thumbs up and told them that they’d be emailed their photos as soon as possible by the art team. The two thanked Ignatz for his work, dropped the Polaroid-esc frame back into the bin where they had gotten it, and exited the photo area. The ballroom had become fairly packed in the time it took to get their photos done, the dance area full of friends and couples headbobbing, jumping, and dancing to their music being performed. The two decided to get food and punch, before returning going off to dance, in case the good options were to run out.

While the two were in line, Dimitri was Annette dancing with Felix (it was more like dancing at him, as he was just bobbing his head up and down and swaying side to side slightly.) animatedly. Annette’s romantic life, in all of their years of being friends, was something she barely ever mentioned. He just assumed it was because of how driven she was to her work, and how much she cared about her school life.

“I didn’t see that coming. Did you know she had a date? He doesn’t seem to be her type at a first glance, either, does he?” Dedue asked, noticing Dimitri’s staring in that direction.

“No, not at all, and no, he doesn’t. In fact, she was whispering about how he needed to be more friendly around me earlier when we met. It was embarrassing, so I stopped listening. Annie and I had never really talked about the kind of people she liked, but I didn’t think she would go for a guy who wasn’t a social person like her,” He whispered. “But if he makes her happy, I won’t judge her.

The band finished whatever song they were on and continued to the next. Annette jumped up in the air and cheered the moment it started, reaching out for Felix’s hands. He looked away at first, but she said something to him that made him sigh and roll his eyes but give her his hands. She cheered again, taking his hands in hers. She began dancing at him again, singing along to the music while she held his hands and moved her body. Dimitri noticed that the longer the song went on, the more into it Felix got, loosening up his previously stiff body and moving his body with Annette’s. The song reached near its end and the two smiling, spinning, and twirling. When it ended, their faces were closed and they out of the breath. Dorothea grabbed the microphone from the stage, alerting the crowd that a slow song was about to begin and that all the couples should get on the floor. Annette smiled at him, and he returned the smile, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Sensing what was about to happen and feeling as if they had pried enough, Dedue and Dimitri turned away in unison, getting their food and returning to their table hastily.  
Hubert and Mercedes were the only ones left at the table when they came back, deep in conversation. At some point, Hubert had given her the long sweater that he wore inside, as it was wrapped around her shoulders. She leaned on against the table with her elbow, hand on her chin, smiling and nodding as Hubert spoke, looking positively enthralled. She waved at the two of them upon their arrival, Hubert nodding at them.

“Not going to dance at all, you two? I know how much you’ve been looking forward to it,” she asked teasingly. She knew for a fact that neither of them particularly liked to dance in public.

“You know us too well,” Dedue replied dryly. “What about you? You actually enjoy dance, don’t you?”

“Oh, I do, but I’m saving my energy for later on tonight! Emile and his band are going to be at a punk show, and I want to be able to dance with the whole time I’m there, so I’m sitting for now,” she said, excitement laced in her voice.

“Oh, that’s right, he is in a band. ‘Death Knight’ was their name, right? And didn’t he have an on-stage persona with a different name?” Dimitri asked, recalling some videos of him Mercedes had shown him. He was a tall man who was deadly with a guitar who usually wore a mask over his eyes when he performed.

“His stage name is Jeritza. He embodies all of the raw emotions that live inside of him whenever he’s not playing music, threatening to spill over after reach a boiling point. He plays with an intensity I’ve never seen before, it’s utterly hypnotizing to watch,” Hubert explained, who seemed to have a deep understanding of the topic.

Dimitri would have never guessed that Mercedes would have a brother in a punk band and when they first met, but as they got to know each other he learned that Mercedes was very into the alternative scene. She often went with Sylvain to shows and concerts to bands she liked, ranging from heavy metal to emo, since he used to like similar things in middle school (another thing he’d never admit to you). Taking that into account, Dimitri shouldn’t have been surprised that Mercedes would take a liking to Hubert, who was has been dedicated to the alternative emo for as long as anyone at Garreg Mach knew him.

“Are you a fan of their work, too?” Dedue asked Hubert, who nodded and explained how he and Mercedes had bonded over their shared connection to the group. Dedue seemed to enjoy talking to Hubert, the two soon steadily falling into the flow of conversation. Dimitri and Mercedes listened in.

___

Dimitri had barely noticed how much time had passed by until Mercedes reminded him that it was time for them to excused themselves to go to the stage in order to start the Royal Court announcements. He bid Dedue and the rest of his friends who had returned to the table a quick farewell before walking with Mercedes to where they were to organize all of their things for the readings. Dimitri didn’t have to say much; He would greet the student body, thank them for coming, thank the faculty and students who made the night possible and then step down as Annette and Mercedes take the wheel.

Dimitri spotted Annette talking to Mx. Eisner, a new teacher at their school who taught a home-ec sort of class and helped out with the student council. They weren’t the most talkative person outside of the classroom, preferring to be on the listening side of conversations which worked well for people like Annette. Mx. Eisner was a younger teacher who a lot of the students felt like they could relate to, but still had an aura that made many of the people they encountered feel as if though they had wisdom beyond their years. Annette saw Dimitri and Annette approach, waving them over enthusiastically. She handed Mercedes the envelope with the results for the King and Prince, a pretty red envelope with black writing on the outside, along with the two plastic crowns she would need to present them with. She grabbed her own envelope and crowns, and they talked briefly before the song ended, and it was time to get the show on the road. Dorothea quickly called attention to the stage before her band descended off the stage to join everyone sitting down in the ballroom. Dimitri and the girls got up on stage, Dimitri coming over to the microphone while they stood behind him.

“Everyone, how are you all tonight? Having fun I hope?” He asked the crowd, he got a couple of cheers and a good amount of clapping as a response. “Good to hear, I’m glad to hear it. Now, as this year starts to wind down, and the time we have together gets smaller and smaller, Seniors, I hope you all and take in moments like this. While we’re all together in the same place, celebrating the same thing for one of the last times. I hope you take the memories of moments like this with you wherever you go, whether that be to university in the Fall of next year, or somewhere else. I hope you can look back on these times fondly, reminding yourself of how you felt in this moment whenever you feel lonely, or just need a pick-me-up.

Before I hand it over to Annette, I’d like to take a moment to thank her for her incredibly hard work. Anyone who knows her even a little knows how much she works and how dedicated she is to the things that she’s passionate about, and working on Prom was no different. She helped me out endlessly, pushing her schedule around in order to make time to decorate this hall, organize the food and catering, and a countless amount of small details that I couldn’t possibly name here. Thank you isn’t enough to show how grateful I am to have her, but it’s all I’ve got for right now, So, thank you, Annette! Please join me in giving her around as applause!”

There was a roaring round of applause for, which made his a little and his lips curve into a smile a huge grin. Annette dashed over to him, giving him an long hug. She whispered a thank you of her down, before stepping up to the microphone herself.

“Thank you so, so much for those words, Dimitri. I’d just like to say I couldn’t have done any of this without his or Mercedes’ help, and without the support of you guys, of course! I’m so grateful for this community and I’m extremely proud to have served as your secretary and head event planner for the past two years!

Now, let’s get to the good bit, the reason why you’re all here. I have the great honor happy to present our winners of Prom Queen and Princess!” she cheered, unfolding the envelope. “Caspar? Could I get some of your legendary drumrolls, please?”

Caspar ran back on stage and behind to get his drum set, grabbing his sticks. He began playing.

“Okay, first, the winner for Prom Princess. Garreg Mach’s next prom princess is…” she pulled out the paper that showed the result, features lighting up once again as she read it over. “Ferdie von Aegir! Congratulations!”

A loud cheer came from Sylvain before the whole room started cheering for her. Ferdie excitedly made their way up to the stage and over to Annette. Ferdie bent down so Annie could place the plastic miniature crown she had on her head. Annette offered her the microphone for a quick word.

“Thank you very much, everyone! It means more to me than you know,” Ferdie said hands over her heart.

There was another cheer offered for her. She giggled, cheeks rosy. She walked over to where Dimitri and Mercedes were standing, as the winners usually stayed to wait for one another. Annette waited for the cheers to die down before moving on.

“Alright everyone, the main event! The moment you’ve all been waiting for! The people have decided. The next Queen of Garreg Mach will be…” Caspar started his drum roll again as Annie unfolded the other paper. “The one and only Dorothea Arnault! Congratulations!”

Dimitri didn’t think that that was much of a surprise, and due to the overwhelming amount of cheers for her, the crowd seemed to agree. Dorothea smiled at the ground as she came up on stage, pushing her brown hair out of her face. She bent down and allowed Annette to place the silver crown on her head. She gave her a quick hug before thanking everyone for allowing her to have a platform to sing for the past four years. She made a quick jest about remembering all of them when she was famous, before going over to stand next to Ferdie, the two of them sharing a tight hug.

“That’s all from me, everyone! Mercedes will take it from here. Congrats again to our princess and Queen!” Annette said, waving goodbye to the crowd. They all waved back, before clapping for Mercedes.

“Hi everyone, I’m so excited to announce who our next prince and King will be! Thank you all for showing up to vote this year. It was one of our closest competitions so far. Now, let’s see who our Prince is!” Mercedes said.

Over at the table, Dimitri saw Claude and Sylvain whispering to one another whilst their eyes stayed on Mercedes. Petra was sitting next to Dedue, who was looking at the two while shaking his head. Annie was observing them as well, a smile on her bright features. He turned his attention back to Mercedes, who was unfolding the results. Mercedes hesitated before laughing quietly into the mic.

“Well. Um, it looks like there’s been an exact tie! Congratulations to both Sylvain and Claude!” She giggled sheepishly, gesturing to the where the two sat.  
Surprised silence filled one side of the room while the other erupted in cheers. The both of them worse the same dumbfounded expression. Dedue and Petra were holding in a laugh while Hubert chuckled out loud.

“Um, congratulations, Sylvain and Claude,” Mercedes said, urging them to come to the stage. The two snapped out of it a bit and awkwardly walked up the stage to be crowned.

“Well, since I only have just one, I’ll….” she trailed off. “Here, why don’t I just let you two hold it until we can get another crown?”

She held out the plastic crown between them. They looked at each other and then took it reluctantly. The crowd resumed their clapping once more again, the two dejected teens moving the side of the stage.

“Dimitri, no offense or anything, I’m not that mad, but what the fuck? Wasn’t there like, no one else on the ballot? Wouldn’t it have been between Claude and I no matter what?” Sylvain whispered keeping his eyes on Mercedes and keeping his lips stiff.

“Well, technically you could write in another person at the bottom of the boxes, if you really wanted to,” Dimitri replied quietly as Mercedes began to unfold the next result.

  
“ _Everyone_ doing that, though?! What are the odds of that?” the redhead huffed.

“No idea. You’re right though, it’s kind of absurd…” Dimitri said, brow furrowing.

“Well, everyone, it’s my honor to present the next king of Garreg Mach! Congratulations to Caspar!”

The sound of a cymbal crashing came from the left of the stage, followed by cheering Caspar’s mouth was open, his eyes were raised and he was standing up from behind his set. He ran over to Mercedes, who placed the tall, golden crown on top of his head. He grabbed the microphone after her thanking her quickly.

_**“WE DID IT GUYS! LET'S GOOOOO!”**_ He howled, shaking his fist up and down excitedly. Sections of students stood up, chanting his name. Hubert raised a fist from his seat, breaking Petra’s resolve to hold back a laugh. Caspar ran off stage and was embraced by a couple of the people who had been cheering for him. The whole room’s attention was on Caspar, so Mercedes simply thanked everyone, congratulated everyone once again, and gave the mic back to Dorothea who was supposed to keep the party going after the coronations. She put the mic back in its holder and walked off stage as well, deciding to take a break until the commotion died down.

The group of them walked back to their table where Petra and Hubert were still smiling and joking about what had just happened.

“You should have seen your faces,” Hubert cackled, leaning on Petra’s shoulder. “Priceless, goddess, just priceless!”

“Why are you laughing, Petra-bird? What’s going on?” Claude asked Petra. She waved her hand in dismissal as laughter wracked her body.

“I promise that I cast my vote for you, but I did keep a secret from you. Hubert, you have to tell him. I cannot stop laughing,” She said, calming herself down a bit to speak clearly.

“So it was a plot! I told you so, Dimitri.” Sylvain sighed, pulling out a chair for Ferdie, who was rubbing his back sympathetically.

“I didn’t deny it, Sylvain! But, what was this whole thing about? And why Caspar of all people?” Dimitri demanded, taking his set neck to Dedue again.

“Linhardt started telling their friends to make sure to cast a vote for Caspar because his name was left off of the ballet. This wasn’t true, of course, he never intended to run. Linhardt just thought it would be entertaining to see how far it went, basically. It was initially supposed to be a surprise, but Caspar found out about it after multiple people had come to talk to him about why his name wasn’t officially on the ballot. He thought the whole thing was hilarious, so he started campaigning during his club meetings. As for why it was a secret, I suppose Linhardt wanted to see how people who didn’t know about the whole thing would react. He chose Caspar, both because he finds humor in the ridiculous and because no one would suspect him to win. I have to say, I’m impressed by his experiment.” Hubert explained, smiling the whole time.

Felix, who hadn’t said anything other than ‘hello’ to anyone, laughed under his breath. Annette giggled too, punching his shoulder for drawing it out of her.

“So, you’re basically saying this whole thing happened and neither us won because... Linhardt got bored? Really?” Sylvain said, sitting back in his chair, utterly defeated.

“Essentially. Although, I don’t think he intended for the two of you to tie. At least both of you got something out of this whole ordeal.”

Claude and Sylvain looked at their crown on the table, and then each other.

“I guess if neither of us won against them either, we’re not really losers. Cool?” Claude sighed, extending a hand.

Sylvain looked up, mulling it over before nodding and extending his hand out to shake Claudes. “I want the crown, though.”

“What? Dude, no way. It’s so mine.”

“Is not!”

“Is too!”

At the same time of their petty argument, from across the room hooting and hollering could be heard as Caspar was picked up onto a Raphael’s, muscular boy who was in the nutrition club with Caspar, shoulders. Raphael ran out of the room with him, a swarm of people following, chanting Caspar’s name. People all around their table shrugged at each other and decided to get up and leave with the mob. When all the ruckus was over, there were hardly any people left inside. The group paused.

“Welp,” Annette remarked, “that just happened!” Felix snickered from next to her again.

“I guess the party’s just about over, then. It is getting a little late, and the afterparties have probably started by now,” Mercedes said, standing up from her seat and pulling Hubert’s sweater closer around her body.

The rest of the group decided to get up in tandem with her. The Prom was nearly over, anyway, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to Dimitri that so many people had flooded out so quickly. Most people went to Prom just to attend the parties afterward, so they would look for a time where it was acceptable to get up and leave to get to their events. Caspar’s triumphant victory just so happened to give them that chance. He couldn’t really blame them, either, since, on top of everything else, he’d been looking forward to his date with Dedue the whole night.

As everyone got up and collected themselves, Dorothea and Marianne walked over to their table, Dorothea’s hand in Marianne’s. Annie waved at the two girls before trotting over to hug them both.

“Well, that was all a little crazy, wasn’t it?” Dorothea asked rhetorically. “I had heard Linhardt set Caspar but somehow, but I had no idea he was in on it. It’s no biggie, though. Marie and I need to rest our voices, anyways. Where are all of you headed?”

“Felix and I are just gonna go back to his hotel room since he’s got matches tomorrow,” Annette said, gesturing over to Felix. “What about you two? The night’s still young, y’know! Gonna go to a party?”

Dorothea giggled and waved her hand in the air, brushing the idea away. “No way, we’re done for today. We’re probably just gonna head for the dorms. Marie’s been wanting to show me a couple of movies and now’s a perfect time. Well, we just wanted to say hi, and thanks for letting us party with you guys tonight! See ya.”

Marianne waved at the group with a tired smile on her features. Dorothea said her goodbyes to them as well before the couple turned to leave, but right before they left, Marianne stopped and jogged over to Dimitri to give him a quick side hug. Dimitri’s eyes crinkled as he smiled and squeezed her tightly.

“That was a really nice speech you gave up there, Dimitri,” She said, “And, you’re right. We should cherish these memories with each other. I’m really glad I’ve gotten to spend this time with you and all of the others. I’ll see you around!”

She went back over to Dorothea who was waiting for her with an outstretched hand. She took it, and the couple was on their way.

“She really has come out of her shell, hasn’t she?” Dedue marveled, handing Dimitri his vest, “I remember our first meetings at the Environmental Preservation Club. She hardly made a sound. Now she’s performing and going out her way to give hugs to people. I’m proud of her.”

“I think you really helped her along, Dedue,” he said, which made Dedue giggle and roll his eyes. “I’m serious! You two met before we did and you were always so kind to her. She told me how she appreciated that you never forced her out of her comfort zone. You’re better at people than you think, you know.”

“Heh, you think so? Or are you just saying that because I’m taking you to dinner?” the taller boy giggled, poking Dimitri’s side playfully.

Dimitri laughed and scooted away from the touch, pushing Dedue gently. Dimitri pulled on the vest. The group double-checked they had all of their belongings before heading out of the door out into the crisp winter air. It seemed that the Caspar fans had decided to take their celebration elsewhere; there were only a few people standing outside and talking with one another, a couple of people heading in various directions to continue their night elsewhere. Dimitri smiled and waved at some of them as they passed by.

“Well, thank you so much for the wonderful night, everyone. Hubert and I are gonna get going, since we don’t want to miss Emile’s act! We’ll see you later. Make sure you’re home before your bedtimes!” Mercedes giggled, arm wrapped closely around Hubert’s. Hubert nodded, interlacing their fingers together.

Everyone shared their final hugs, laughs, and kisses on the cheek before parting their own separate ways. Sylvain was taking Ferdie back to his room to watch a couple of movies, and Petra wanted to finalize some plans for the International Club’s special graduation, so they headed back to their respective rooms. Before she left, Annette squeezed Dimitri tightly in a hug, wishing him a great date and requesting a stack of chocolate-chip banana pancakes. Dimitri made sure to make a note of her request. She giggled, waving at Dedue before walking with Felix to the guest parking lot across campus, where his rental was.

Dimitri turned to Dedue who was smirking at him with one of his hands outstretched, gesturing for Dimitri to take it.

“Let’s go see if Caeldonia’s pancakes are on par with mine,” He said. Dimitri giggled and took his hand, allowing Dedue to lead him to his car.

__

Dimitri rested his head against the window next to the booth that they two had eaten was he waited for Dedue to come back from the restroom. A soft song that his father used to play for him when he was younger played from the old speakers of the diner. He fiddled with the wrapper of the straw he has used for his water, crumbling it up into a ball and flicking it lightly over and over. From over his shoulder, he heard footsteps coming. Dedue slid back into the booth, smiling at him once he was settled. He reached over to brush some of the blonde hairs that were in Dimitri’s face.

“You look tired, love,” Dedue said, moving his hand down to boop Dimitri’s nose. Dimitri exhaled and slouched a bit, a tired smile breaking out on his face.

“I’m just full, I think, don’t worry,” Dimitri replied, lacing their fingers together. “You saw how much I ate. The food was delicious.”

“Better than mine?”

“I said delicious, not perfect.”

The two shared a laugh before the waitress came up to the table and placed the check on the table. Dedue reached for his wallet but stopped made an “ah, ah” noise before taking a 30 dollar bill out of his pocket and placing it on the tray. Dedue rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, putting his hands in the air as a surrender.

After leaving a tip, the two boys once collected themselves and made theirs out of the diner and into the parking lot.

“Score out of ten?” Dimitri asked, hooking arms with the taller boy.

“Mm, seven. Their maple syrup was nice, but I thought the pancakes could have been fluffier,” Dedue assessed, unlocking the car. “Also, get in. I have to get something out of the trunk.”

“Oh? What is it? Do you need help?”

“No, I don’t, and it’s also a surprise. Here,” Dedue placed the keys and Dimitri’s, letting him walk in front of him to get in the car. “If you turn the heater on for us I’ll show you what it is.”  
Dimitri smiled and rolled his eyes at his teasing. He opened the door to the passenger’s side of the car, leaning over to turn the car on and to get the heat running. The stereo popped on, playing the songs Dimitri had put on a CD for Dedue to listen to as a gift from Junior year. After Dimitri gave it to him, Dedue told him that he went out and got a CD player for his Grandmother’s house in Duscur so she could listen to the music they liked together. Dimitri leaned back in his seat and sighed, yet another smile melting onto his face. His cheeks ached from all the laughing he had done with Dedue at dinner and at the dance.

Dedue walked up to the driver’s side and putting something on top of the car before knocking on the window. He gestured for Dimitri to close his eyes before. Dimitri giggled before closing his eyes and putting the gloves on his hands over his eyes. Dedue opened the door and slid into the car; Dimitri heard him placing the object on the armrest between the both of them.

"What is it?” Dimitri asked, tilting his head to the side.

“You’ll see. It’s for you. No looking, Dima,” Dedue warned, fiddling with the surprise.

“You really didn’t have to! And, I promise I won’t look,”

“I know I didn’t. I wanted to,” He placed something in Dimitri’s lap. “Look down and open your eyes.”

Dimitri turned his head to look down at his lap, opening his eyes. A rectangular gift box sat on his lap, wrapping paper with a penguin motif covering the surprise. Dimitri’s lips curled up as he looked over to Dedue. Dedue smiled backed at him a nodded his head at the box, urging him to open it. Dimitri ripped the wrapping paper off bit by bit. The back of a picture frame came into the view the more paper Dimitri tore off. After if was all gone, he turned it over. Inside the frame, there was a paper with multiple thumbprints, all in different colors of paint, each with a little paragraph next to them. Each one was signed by one of Dimitri’s friends, Annette and Mercedes thumbprints next to each other, and Dedue’s near the top of the page with the most writing next to it. Dimitri gasped, covering his mouth. He moved his hand to his heart, skimming over the words his friends wrote for him.

“Dedue… _Oh_ , Dedue, I love it! When did you do this? Everyone’s here!” Dimitri gushed, looking between his boyfriend and the picture frame.

"I finished it up yesterday with mine, but I got fingerprints from everyone throughout the week. I’m so glad you like it.”

Dimitri looked for Dedue’s thumbprint, which was located at the top. It was a mix between grey, blue and green, similar to Dedue’s eyes. Dedue’s note to him was written in plain black pen, his neat handwriting easy on Dimitri’s eyes.

“Goddess, Dedue, I love it so, so much. Thank you.” Dimitri cheered, clutching it to his chest. He felt like his whole body was filled with some sort of light. He looked over at Dedue, dimple showing as he grinned at Dimitri. The world took on a rosy hue. His hands felt like they were moving by themselves.

“Of course, Dima, it was my- wait, why are you taking off your seatbelt? Where are you going?” Dedue asked as Dimitri undid the belt and swung the door open.

  
“Switch sides with me! We’re going somewhere! You still have that blanket in the car, yes?” Dimitri cheered, hopping out of his seat and running outside to get over to the driver’s side of the car.

  
“Um, yes, but what are you talking about?” Dedue replied, sliding out of the car.

“Don’t worry, you’ll see,” Dimitri said, meeting Dedue by the trunk of the car and giving his hands a squeeze. “Come on, let’s do it.”

Dedue sighed, smiling as he exhaled. He nodded. Dimitri grinned back at him before running over and hopping in the driver’s seat of Dedue’s car. As he turned on the ignition, the mix that Dimitri started to play. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the main road of town until they neared the train station. He turned onto a couple of side streets before arriving at their destination, parking the car.

“The lake?” Dedue asked confusion painted all over his face.

“Yes. Let’s go. I’ll get the blanket.”

Dimitri quickly grabbed the fleece blanket in the back of Dedue’s car before locking it. He grabbed Dedue’s hand and guided him down to near the water. Grass crunched under their feet as they came upon the sand that stood before the water. The moon’s reflection, a beautiful crescent, shone on the currents. They picked a spot on the sand and stopped. Dedue reached for the blanket to lay it down, but Dimitri stopped him.

“Wait. Before you do, there’s- I have to tell you something,” Dimitri stammered, looking down at his feet.

“Is everything okay? I thought you had fun.” Dedue said, brow furrowing.

“Yes! Yes. More than okay. I feel amazing. I feel…” he trailed off, shaking his head.

“Okay. Good,” Dedue exhaled, “What was it you wanted to tell me?” Dedue murmured, reaching out for the blanket. Dimitri allowed him to take it this time. They sat on their knees facing each other. Dimitri took Dedue’s soft hands in his. They were still warm.

“Dedue, the other day Annette told me I don’t have to go on big spiels in order for people to know how I feel, but I don’t feel like I can say this the way I want to without going on one,” He inhaled steadily, “Thank you for everything you’ve given me. This isn’t just about the thumbprints, or the pancakes, or the dance, but everything you’ve done for me. You’ve helped me settle myself down when I don’t feel good enough, you taught me that just being me is good enough, and so much more. Then, there are the little things, like when you drop off little chocolates for me after club meetings, or how you memorized my order at the cafe, or…” He felt his throat tense up.

“Dimitri, I-” Dedue started, rubbing his thumb over his boyfriend's hand.

“Dedue, I just, love you. I love you _so much_. Everything about you. I meant it when I said this is the happiest I’ve ever been. Loving you makes me feel like I can do anything. I feel full. If I’m with you, if I can love you, then I’m okay. I love you. Now that I’ve told you, I don’t want to stop,” Dimitri cried.

Dedue sniffled as he shook his head, a wobbly grin across his face.

“Goddess, come here,” he said, cupping Dimitri’s cheek and pulling him in for an embrace.

The two cried as they embraced, lips trembling as they held each other as close as possible. Dimitri pulled back first, wiping Dedue’s tears before his own. Dedue wasn’t a crier, only having done it a few times around Dimitri before.

“I love you, Dimitri. I love you,” Dedue whispered. Dimitri’s shoulders slouched as another grin melted onto his face. He pulled his boyfriend back in for another kiss.

As they pulled apart for a final time, it started to snow.

__

**Author's Note:**

> i really hope you enjoyed this. this was my very first time writing anything near this long, so i hope it was worth a read. please leave a comment or a kudos if u enjoyed this!


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